Hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, are used to assist patients suffering hearing loss by transmitting amplified sounds to ear canals. In one example, a hearing aid is worn in and/or around a patient's ear.
Tinnitus is a condition in which a patient perceives sound in their ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. While ringing of the ears is associated with tinnitus, other types of sounds can be perceived and can be sporadic, intermittent or continuous. Tinnitus can be caused by a number of conditions or injuries, but regardless of cause can be debilitating and decrease a patient's quality of life. A tinnitus-masker is a function of a hearing assistance device that can be used to provide therapy to a patient suffering from tinnitus.
There is a need in the art for improved mitigation of tinnitus-masker impact on speech intelligibility.